Color For the Corporate Man

27.02.2019 | Blog

What to wear to work? You want to dress appropriately, look good, feel good, and be comfortable. As an executive, you know it’s not that simple; your wardrobe communicates more to colleagues and clients than just your personal style – it makes a strong impression about your role, attributes, and even accomplishments. It’s a fact – people who appear polished get more respect because they look like bosses. (Check out this article from Inc.com, to learn how color influences perception.)

That being said, one
very important element of conveying your message is incorporating color into
your look. Color communicates confidence,
personality, and a friendly disposition.
There is nothing wrong with neutrals, but nobody wants to read
boring. Keep perusing to learn how to
effectively inject color into your look:

TIE FIRST – When dipping a toe into colorful waters, your tie is a safe place to start. For example, if you love a certain color, you can take it to the next level. Try various shades – darker and lighter, and embrace prints that incorporate a combo of that color and different ones. Once you’ve sported a few bolder ties, expand outside of your color comfort zone and give other colors a try.

SHIRT
IT UP – Most men primarily wear solid shirts with ties – particularly white or
good ole blue. Now that you’ve bravely
entered the world of bolder ties, give your shirt collection the same
treatment. Initially try some new solid
colors – lilac is one of our favorites – it coordinates well with most hues and
looks great year-round. Start combining
those new ties with new shirts by taking color cues from the shades in your
ties. Next, venture into colorful
prints. If your shirt is very bold
though, keep your tie more subtle.

SHARP SUIT – At this point, we wouldn’t be surprised if you’re starting to notice an uptick in your mood. Not only does wearing colors make you feel more cheerful, the good cheer spreads to the people around you. Now that you’ve conquered ties and shirts, let’s talk suiting. Yes, every man needs a great basic navy suit and gray suit, but the most stylish suiting of today is far from basic. A few of our fave suit options for instance are sophisticated, textured solid burgundy, or gray glen plaids with touches of purple. Special pieces like this communicate an understanding of aesthetics and great pride in appearance – leading others to think “this guy really knows his stuff”. Looking for a bit more info? Check out this great article from Fashion Authority, GQ on how to wear a burgundy suit.

IT’S
THE LITTLE THINGS – Not every day has to be full of color – sometimes you may
want to wear your favorite navy suit, a white shirt, and a subtle tie. On days like that, there are still understated
methods of utilizing color, which convey an attention to detail to others. So many men’s shoes these days incorporate
color – in laces or soles; a pop of maroon will put just the right amount of
pep in your step. Belts with colorful
stitching may give you just the stylish edge you need.

USE
RESTRAINT – One caveat – now that you’ve added so many fabulous colorful pieces
to your wardrobe you may be tempted to wear them all at once – DON’T DO
IT! A dapper look requires balance –
stick to one bold item at a time and remember to take color cues from the other
pieces. If you opt for a bold plaid
multi blue sportcoat, select a tie with the same shade of blue and go with a
white shirt for contrast. If you’ve
decided to don a green, blue, and purple paisley tie, go with a navy jacket and
lighter blue shirt, for example. You get
the idea.

These
techniques may seem incredibly simple, and they should! Style should not be complicated – it’s really
based on common sense. Implement these
small changes, and you’ll enjoy the satisfaction of compliments from TSA agents
en route to your business trips, and approving nods from colleagues at
meetings. Go forth and conquer the world
of color!